Doctoral Dissertation: Spirits in Conflict: Gender, Alcohol and Spirit Possession in Chuuk, Micronesia

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Abstract 0001425This project will investigate the relationship between gender, alcohol use and spirit possession in Chuuk, Micronesia. As male alcohol abuse increased in the 1970s and became a significant social problem on Chuuk, female spirit possession appeared. The researcher hypothesizes that spirit possession is a moral discourse that may assist women in the control of alcohol related problems with men. An urban and rural community will be compared in order to situate the research in areas where alcohol abuse is relatively more or less of a problem. The study will focus on women's religious lives and how they utilize spirituality to respond to male drinking and abuse. Methods include a community census, archival research, participant observation and intensive interviewing. This study will contribute to our theoretical understanding of the relationship between innovative religious practice and rapid social change, and will also contribute important information on alcohol abuse patterns in this area of the world.